An Open Letter for University Regarding Feedback on Practical Students Part 2/2

Continue from http://my.journalku.com/archives/an-open-letter-for-university-regarding-feedback-on-practical-students-part-1-2.html

2.0 Attitude

If …you dont have the skillset, that is okay. As long as you have the right attitude that tailor to workplace need. These students should learn how to communicate in a workplace. The situation here is that they are to clingy to each other like they have created their own island and communicate seldom with other staffs.

2.1 Supervisor is your friend

While Im trying to act as a bridge between them and the staffs, I probably has been taken for granted like their “friend” – everything that I corrected is just me being annoyed, because other supervisor (SV) seems like they don’t care. For example when I told them the don’ts and do this, they compared with other SV, which other SV are too busy to tell them those matter. These mindset are what we seen in these student and everyone in the company have been complaining the same thing. The other staffs suggested me being straight as these friendly approach doesn’t seems to work with them.

2.2 Allowance

Let me clarify before we go deeper, industrial practical at government agencies are basically not entitled for allowance. Yes, there is no allocation for allowance, and we salute most of our previous students does not take things for granted.

On the contrary, in this case, I actually gave my practical students allowance. Yes, me myself gave allowance solely because I want to ease her during her practical and I have told her I need her for my part time work. Just to note, I have several link to industries and even without her helping I can still manage. Yes, I do gave her allowance approximately RM500/months and checked with our HR, and they does not have any problem as long it is the SV willingness. So, bear in mind she has allowances unofficially, the same amount for private sector.

2.3 On Reporting

Most of these students doesn’t report to their SV on their progress. Almost every time I need to ask them what have been done and what is their plan. Until several month, I make a rule to my student to see me at 9 am and 4:30 pm everyday for reporting. Even by that rule, she takes for granted at first by not reporting when I am not around several times, but shes getting it as I’m still asking it via whatsapp on those time.

While for other students, their SV have other important project to do, and these students has been given a two week task. Surprise us, no feedback or progress report during that and they came with only a-two-day progress (that we expect) in the end. You see, if the have the right attitude, this can be avoided.

On reporting as well, this students are bind to follow their supervisor order and agency rule. And to my surprise, these students are actually does not know what reporting to-the-right-person-the-right-thing means. Upon my outstation, she followed her friend to do her friend task, while she has been given her own task by me. This is mind blowing for me, as shes not reporting that task, and agency staffs are actually texting me asking whether she is allowed to do that?

When I came to her and tell this, she acted like I am trying to control her. Well, what on earth does she think she can do everything in a company. I’ve discussed with other SV and they lost words and make a face palm. We among ourselves feel exhausted, and some even say never to take UUM students anymore.

2.4 Leave

Long story short, there is an event where I tested my student what if I’m not allowing her to take leave. She said if I do that, she will take an MC and it does not matter as she can buy it cheaper.

I don’t actually mind for a leave, as long as you have the reasonable reason.

Surprise me, are they think they are still in UUM? This is an agency, and they are doing practical. I never tell my boss that I’m gonna take fake MC if he doesn’t approve my leave. And furthermore I did not even take or intended any fake leave during my employment. How could these students think of that?

2.5 Official Attire

As this is government agency, baju kurung is the official attire for them. On certain occasion, you are allowed to wear long pants and shoes like during cabling for network.

Long story short, I have told my student several times that pants and shoes are not official, and they cannot wear it. Subjectively, IT department does not have any climbing job, so it is bind to default of baju kurung.

Several times she wear it, and when I try to bring this up, she is arguing and seeing me as being control. She actually comparing with her friend that can wear (her friend have network cabling task).

Again, is this agency is her father’s?

2.6 Punchcard and Late Coming

They have been given that yellow old school punch card to time track during practical here.

I have asked many times where are those punch card, as never ever in my time students or staffs are allowed taking it anywhere outside the agency premises. This is first crucial mistake that they fail to realize. Many reasons are being given for not showing it to me.

To my surprise, on her last day, six month card and there you go. Many punches are late for every month. Actually Goverment are taking many late as serious cases. And for the last months, more than half of the months are latecoming. Hereby I attached her attendance for you to judge.

2.7 Project Work

As per above, you should have guessed many of them are below expectation on project. Furthemore it could be improve if they have the right attitude.

Upon their final month, we have set a date for presentation and from that moment then we see some seriousness in them. Probably they still thinking that this is UUM, well, at least us thinking that way.

If I keep the list longer I probably havent much time with my family. There is however something that I see the good in them, that is and solely punctual on lunch time. They come back for work before 2 pm.

In conclusion, those aspect of students are never seen in my 10 years in agency. It is probably something new for us that we should address it correctly and for universiti to know their product readiness for the market.

You reap what you sow.

Signing off,

My Name
Supervisor agency for UUM practical students
My Agency Address

CC: IT Application Unit Manager and IT Manager

An Open Letter for University Regarding Feedback on Practical Students Part 1/2

This is not usual for me to comment on student practical in public, but thinking this is something worth to be shared, then here it goes. Furthermore, this specific uni seems does not care much about it as well.

“I am writing this as a personal open letter solely for UUM intership management with the objective of fair feedback and improvement where applied.

Practical students from UUM can be considered as fresh graduates, as this is their final semester before graduating.

Surprise on Visiting Lecturer

I am quiet surprise at first to know just verbally from my practical student, (perhaps from her whatsapp group I assume), that UUM does not send any visiting lecturer this semester. This matter is quiet dissapointing for us in this agency, as we really hope and appreciate representative from Universities visiting. It shows how university itself concern on their student’s behaviour and skillset, and we are more than happy to share our view on relevant skillset nowadays that student and university should look into. Universities and industries had also build good rapport by having this link.

Thus, I am writing just to let you know these few comments, despite we missed a fruitful discussion with visiting lecturer, based on their six months practical in the agency. There are two major things I want to highlight on with example just so you have the idea.

1. Skillset

The first four weeks are quiet though for us. Sorry to tell this frankly, those product from UUM does not have the skillset, that we think they have, stated in their good marking grades! We have our own Benchmark for practical students, but sadly these students does not have what it takes and does not live to the standard itself. 

For an example, they takes more than 2 weeks to make a simple SQL connection, and some of them does not even know how to kick off the project yet. Most may say Google is a friend, and still there are a lot of IT officers here that are happy to help. Even on requirement of the project they do not understand, nor seek for advice even to clarify again with their supervisor. After two weeks, its a surprise as they brings nothing.

I come to think whether the objective of the practical industry itself is just to gain experience on the industry, not neccessary project-based, but I was wrong.
Surprisingly, this UUM praktikum carries 12 credit hours. This means UUM put a very high hopes that industries and universities and collaborating together to craft a better future. This is highly recommended and respected.

The following month, we have lowered our expectation and a few of us express their disappointment on the student project progress. Anyhow, being positive and taking this to higher challenges, we change our approaches. We thought we should guide them more. We had tried to mix them by changing workplace environment, gave them some group work task such as helping at the front desk, and also giving them a more friendly celebration such as birthdays. In any way, we found that these students does not react as an employee and they are still maintaining the same attitude, mingle among themselves, and furthermore that we suspected, wasting time gossiping about how we treat them.

And this lead to my next comment, on Attitude.

2.Attitude

Gifts

I got “everything” this month. And I feel good about it.

With 6 birthdays and 1 anniversary, what’s more there to count these blessing. Alhamdulillah.

And the best part come. What should I give them especially that one when the “done that” strike are occupying the lists.

Good best friends are building up new list based on their experience, but seems like it doesnt add up much. So let just repeat the list then.

Selalu anniversary / besday korang dah pernah bagi hadiah apa kat bini / si dia?

1. Jam

2. Handbag

3. Bawak pegi fine dining

4. Cium peluk

5. Bawak pegi bercuti

6. Kasut

7. Gelang emas

8. Pandora

9. Perkenalkan bakal honey

10. Bmw

11. Bagi bunga

12. Upah videographer compile semua memori dari kenal sampai sekarang

13. Upah hakiemzakaria nyanyi lagu “send some one to love me” diiringi band lipandara

🤣🤣

I guess this is fine. We are all creative and can improvise the list.

Thanks guys! 😎

To Scale Up or To Replicate

Any business will have this four phase. Startup, Growth, Maturity, and Renewal/Decline. While I’m looking at it, poundering whether I am still in one of the phase or already move to another, I asked one of the 5-month-old employee what he felt about this company. 

“I think the company are doing super great and very well!” He said excitedly. It surprise me as it it not what I expected. He then added, “We have new customers every week, we have returning customer, we have also partners.” And unfortunately, that was for him, as it give me interchangeably proud, happy and shivers feeling. 

For me, the past 10 months has been stagnant figure for the company. It is not what you think that we are doing same routine job everyday, but instead we were adapting to change during those times, catching up. It is good but exausted. 

Number-based Vision

So now I told my marketing assistant to give me data for the last year and this year and see where we are. Numbers dont lie as a friend, Zulkifli from bomstart.my, said. I would share the data collected at the end of this year and lets see how this project goes. Those data will help me planning for the next replication that I have in mind and probably would be usefull for scaling up.

New Target Market

Later in 2018, we are aiming for new target market, and let see how it goes. There are also a few business idea in mind, related to one another which desire an entire focus for one to kicking up. Probably I just enlist them so it reminds me again some time later:

1. Training and consultancy 

2. One-off project – A How-to Video online

3. IoT & Security – with Mobile Web / Apps

4. An ecommerce store

Scaling Up vs Replicate

Expansion can be mean two things, growing bigger in term of financial and also manpower. 

Hello 2018

I hope it is not too late. I know it is not.

Although it takes me quiet a while to kickstart 2018 without proper plan, and risking it to prosper throughoutthe year.

Here is the setup that I have planted since early this year:

Dedicated Persons

More people, more focus, more to gain, more less headache task, and less gain on “income”. Phew. It just a matter of time as I forecast it is going to be a good “investment” anyway.

“Work-Life Balance”. The term I’ve been using with my ex housemate half a decade back.

Working in Alternate Days 

This year I am going to tune into that really slowly. I used to work almost everyday (even during weekend, and wifey would turn into hulk instead of wonder woman) and back home around 1 to 2 am.

So, just a rule to me for a worklife balance, I might use this alternate day concept. One day in house and next day in office. Furthermore, being far away from my second workplace is somehow create smiles to wifey as I now feel exausted driving (probably due to aging lolz).

Often every year, a new unique challenges will surface. Lets rock on 2018, again!

InsyaAllah.

Signing In To Sustainability and Staying Relevant,

Dekan. 😊

Probably the Last Working Method for Encrypted File by Ransomware

As since last week the world went havoc by this ransomware Wannacry and it seems like a very good opportunity by every security vendor in the world to email their potential customers regarding the subject.

So, the last thing you would want to do probably pay the ransom as it is the only way you know will work.

However, I have this idea, of getting the file, probably not all, but at least something than nothing – file recovery solution.

Although,

1. You dont have any backup

2. Your pc does not have drive cache or previous version

3. No other place that you store the very life-important file

…this thing could probably save your money, and life.

So, as I write, my antimalware colleagues now testing and validating this idea. Probably a 50% cure for this disease.

Hope for a good result. 😊

Pengurusan Kewangan Untuk Fresh Graduate Berdasarkan Pengalaman Sebenar

Just recently, there is one subordinate of mine came to me to seek advice on her financial matter.  She has been working for 3 years now, with 1 year at private sector. She did complaint that her salary is lesser in public sector but she still can manage it for the time being.  

While I don’t think I’m good enough for advising her on financial management, we came to a small discussion on what her plan and objectives. Following that, I advised her based on my experience and knowledge on how that can be achieved. I learned that she wanted to be able to survived after her soon marriage and at least some liquid assets just right for her to use during critical times.  

Here is my current ‘blueprint’ for any fresh graduate for financial management thing (of course by exploiting their earning with payslip to the highest possible) 🙂

Prerequisite:

1. She/He need to have at least a total of RM3,000 income either from fulltime salary or part time.  

Currently she is salaried at RM2,200 and I did suggest some part time job that she can do such as tuition teacher, cake and brownies business, dropshipping, affiliates and a few more. In total, if she is consistent, she can happily achieved RM3,000 in next few months.

2. She/He has been working for more than three month.

This is important as my techniques are specially designed for fully utilizing the loan capability and the eligibility of those.

3. Savings. She should have adequate saving in her account, although not much, consistency will paid off. Saving should be made into investment body such as ASB and Tabung Haji.

Here is the step-by-step of what I suggested:

Step 1. Buy Health/Life Insurance – RM150/month

Health/Life insurance is important as much as planning the unexpected. Getting a life insurance will secure your financial amount on health and being yourself as you have the advantage of receiving a value that we called money. I’m not going to go deeper into this. A minimum amount suggested is RM150 per month.  

Step 2. Rent a whole house without furnish

If your singleship status will end soon, I suggest you start looking for a home that is unfurnished rather than a shared-room. The idea is that:

a. unfurnished house is cheaper than fully furnished, let say RM800

b. find your own housemates and charge them per shared-room let say RM700; so you only pay RM100 for the rental

c. gradually complete your house furnished with remaining money, which you can use these furniture during your early marriage-life  

Step 3. Saving

Keep a saving as minimum as RM200/month. Don’t skip.  

Step 4. Buy the properties  

Finding a house is far more different than going to shopping mall and grabs something that you like on your first sight. You need to do multiple visits, do the evaluation, prediction, and lastly decide on which house is closely suitable to meet your objective.  

I suggest that you follow these steps on using loan facilities in buying the houses:

a) First House – use bank loan  

b) Second House – use bank loan

c) Third House – if you are gov servant, use the government loan for the third  

You can opt for new development, subsale, and even auction if you have some cash in hand. My experience in these three type, subsale has given more advantage than those two.  With subsale, you can negotiate the price and also ensure that the house conditions are good for you before buying it. Furthermore, you can buy it below market price and with additional agreement, you can probably get a full loan. Auction and new development requires you to have a lot of cash as the capital.  You probably eligible for less than RM2,000/month for monthly commitment  at this stage. So you might want to look for properties (max: 2) that total up until RM350,000  

Step 5. Buy a car / something else that you need 

At this point, if you need a car, you can buy it based on your remaining Debt Service Ratio (DSR). You can buy other this as well. 

Step 6. Investing

Some might say that investing in ASB will give you max dividend with above 7% per annum. That is a good start. If you have any plan on investing on ASB, I would suggest that you do some homework on the trick of ASB loan, which somehow will give you 20%-30% in ROI. But careful, it might affect you DSR as well.  

Some also might say, it is best to invest in gold. I would say go for that as well. Whatever suit you. Those investments have its own upside down, which is normal.  

Oh how about unit trust?  

Frankly speaking, I’m not familiar with unit trust nor have any experience investing on that. The agent might say the ROI is 15%, but some might not get lucky enough and loose some amount. As he name suggest it os investing.

 Just keep in mind, whatever you plan to invest, do study the worse case scenario and consider what you might loose. For example, on ASB Loan, you might get free money but your commitment probably locked up to 5 years. 

Well I think that was it. 

Step 7. Register SSM

Register an SSM and start a small business at early age. I bet you would appreciate this point if you know what you can do with them. There are a lot of financial facilities that is available for small business and startup nowadays. Why not grab one for yourself.

Everything that is mentioned are based on my experience. You probably have different one, better than mine. Feel free to share anything in the comment form. 😉  

Last but not least, after 5 years, imagine how much can she gain?

1. Protected by life insurance

2. Have a nice house fully equipped with household and furnitures

3. Have some saving even if she used everything for her wedding, she has been trained to do contonuos saving.

4. Have a lot of cash in hand as the property were tremendously appreciate after 5 years with 0% RPGT. She might either: a) sell the house b) refinance to current value 

5. Have a car and anything else

6. Have some liquid asset. 

7. Probably has started a steady business that give her steady income 😉

 SpSekian sahaja kali ini. Semoga bermanfaat. InsyaAllah. Aminnn.

Drafting initial plan for business in 2017

Assalamualaikum wbt and very good morning to you guys,

.😁

In dealing with current business challenge especially for the year 2017 and looking forward, I seek a few advices and insight opinion from the startup fellows. Many meetings or should I say a santai table talks in the December 2016 has been held.

.👍👍

For this year, me and Amin, my manager cum my replicator (he can do the thinking while I’m not around) for running operation, decided that we maintain our business (projector rental & laptop rental), and wrap it up into something more related (mini event AV equipment rental) in order to offer the packages to customers. It sound good to me as we previously offer seperate item rather all-in-one solutions. Our inventories and partners also has been growing tremendously in 2016.

.

In 2017 also, we will be focusing on our current partners and look ahead for new partnership opportunities. I have made a decision that an office (although it just a working space) is important in strengtehing the company image. Luckily Amin have found a suitable one located in just nearby (Presint 8) and we will be sharing with a suitable company that is doing training center business (soon to be our client as well.) 😍

.

For some that ask whether we have any plan on diversity, the answer is we do, and right now it is  still in initial and research stage and we expect it will grow slow and steady.

.

Last but not least, thank you to all the client for your continuos support and also thank you to all staffs that happily working with us. We would not have been this far at we are now without each of you direct or indirectly helping it. Lets rock 2017! 

.

May Allah bless us. InsyaAllah.

😆

2016 conclusion

Assalamualaikum wbt and May God Bless You.

Although it is not end of the year yet, I can draw some initial conclusions for this 2016.

As in my initial prediction earlier this year, there are a few things of uncertainty foreseen through out the year. So far, so good, well at least I survived until today, Alhamdulillah.

Here are a quick summary of uncertainty that happened throughout the year:

Work:

• ascending as planned
• expertise recognition from international body
• hiccup here, hiccup there, solved here, solved there.
• certified in a few fields

Family:

• Cant really decide when to move, so no new place for the kid
• New family members expected soon as this post been made
• So far, so good

Business:

• Change in staff. It give me spooky thinking earlier when my assistant has been offered to work based his Degree field. I do wish the best for him. Interestingly, I got new staff replacement with some extra benefit of expertise and experienced – ex-Petronas Executive. So technically, I am hiring a ‘manager’ then. :p
• The main business so far, Alhamdulillah, went well. I hope LHD end does not reading this. We (me and my team) worked out and reach more than 20k/month sale for three consecutive months. I love you guys. 🙂
• After doing market validation, we do expand to other business that’s similar. Got funded by 10 investors just by pitching in Whatsapp for 15 minutes. It is unexpected, but so far it went very well. Shareholder telling interest to invest more. Clients are more than happy and a few of them even send out email for long term co-operation. Alhamdulillah.

Miscellaneous:

• A good friend expected to leave the company, and luckily she does not. It give me the chill anyway.
• Something happen for a good reason. I loved it, hated it, and loved it. For one month, I have been given spesific test by Him, and I’m sure I remember the take home message, InsyaAllah.
• A few more which I couldnt recall at this 2 am 😉

May Allah Bless Me and You. InsyaAllah. 🙂

2016’s Fav Song

Photograph, Ed Sheeran:

Loving can hurt
Loving can hurt sometimes
But it’s the only thing that I know
When it gets hard
You know it can get hard sometimes
It is the only thing that makes us feel alive

We keep this love in a photograph
We made these memories for ourselves
Where our eyes are never closing
Hearts are never broken
Times forever frozen still

So you can keep me
Inside the pocket
Of your ripped jeans
Holdin’ me closer
‘Til our eyes meet
You won’t ever be alone
Wait for me to come home

Loving can heal
Loving can mend your soul
And it’s the only thing that I know (know)
I swear it will get easier
Remember that with every piece of ya
And it’s the only thing we take with us when we die

We keep this love in this photograph
We made these memories for ourselves
Where our eyes are never closing
Our hearts were never broken
Times forever frozen still

So you can keep me
Inside the pocket
Of your ripped jeans
Holdin’ me closer
‘Til our eyes meet
You won’t ever be alone

And if you hurt me
That’s OK, baby, only words bleed
Inside these pages you just hold me
And I won’t ever let you go

Wait for me to come home [4x]

Oh you can fit me
Inside the necklace you got when you were 16
Next to your heartbeat
Where I should be
Keep it deep within your soul

And if you hurt me
Well, that’s OK, baby, only words bleed
Inside these pages you just hold me
And I won’t ever let you go

When I’m away
I will remember how you kissed me
Under the lamppost
Back on 6th street
Hearing you whisper through the phone,
“Wait for me to come home.”

Music Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nSDgHBxUbVQ

Senarai Buffet Ramadhan Area Putrajaya 2016

Assalamualaikum dan selamat berpuasa semua,

Seperti tahun-tahun sebelum ini, setiap kali bulan puasa menjelma, akan timbullah pakej-pakej daripada hotel-hotel dan restoran-restoran untuk pakej berbuka puasa.

Apabila difikirkan semula, sebelum bulan puasa tidak pula mahu makan di hotel. Tapi waktu bulan ramadhan, tiba-tiba sahaja ramai memenuhi bufet hotel dan seumpamanya untuk berbuka puasa bersama keluarga, rakan-rakan dan juga rakan sekerja.

Hasil pencarian saya setakat ini, berikut saya kongsikan beberapa tempat berbuka puasa di area Putrajaya untuk kemudahan tuan-puan semua. Boleh share jika bermanfaat.

1. 1. Putrajaya International Convention Center | Dari RM99/pax minimum 100 pax | +603-88876000
   Ruj: http://www.picc.com.my/#!promotions/cccv
2. 2. Hotel Bangi-Putrajaya | RM100 (D), RM50 (K) | +603 8210 2222
   Ruj: http://www.hotelbangi-putrajaya.com/promotions/dining-promotions
   
3. 3. Hotel Puri Pujangga @ UKM | RM70 (D), RM35 (K) | +60389222891
   Ruj: http://www.puripujangga.com.my/deals.html#1
   
4. 4. Hotel Everly Putrajaya | Dari RM98/pax | +03-88922929
   Ruj: https://www.facebook.com/TheEverlyPutrajaya/photos/a.488374344564508.1073741828.449136731821603/1009466562455281/?type=3&theater
   
5. 5. Bangi Golf Resort Clubhouse | RM58 (D), RM29 (K) | +603-89250728
   Ruj: https://www.facebook.com/BangiGolfResortRestaurant/
   

Semoga madrasah ramadhan kali ini membawa beribu-ribu pengajaran kepada anda semua! InsyaAllah.

Signing off,

Dekan

2016

Assalamualaikum wbt 2016, may you be good to me.

Jika dahulu saya katakan 2015 suasananya panas, dan 2014 suasananya sejuk, tahun 2016 pula adalah peralihan.

Come to think of it, actually the way I sense it, is almost related to the earth temperature itself. In 2014, there were floods, a big ones and multiple waves following after another and there were also cold phenomenon during those time.

In 2015, I feel it will become really hot, and it eventually it does. Although I did feel it started before the haze started from neighboring country, it continues through out the year and it comes to the end with no major flood reported at east coast of Peninsular Malaysia that was supposed to happen every year. So true, isn’t it?

in 2016, I perceive, there are a few things that might be change (in temperature and) to my life progress which I didn’t really know what is it (it give me scary feeling), but I choose to wait and see really carefully.

So, may everything goes smoothly this year and InsyaAllah things will be better.

Just now, one of my best friend ask me to list down what are the targets as what he does here:

For me, the major changes this year probably moving from Putrajaya to my new house that cut almost half of my salary every month as for now. :p So, I should be ready to adapt and will initiate some plans to reduce the ‘casualty’ (omg) mentally and financially when the change take place.

Ya Allah, permudahkanlah. InsyaAllah.